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DIRECTIVE

On further stepping up the implementation of the Resolution of the 5th plenum of the party Central Committee (ixth congress) on accelerating the agricultural and rural industrialization and modernization

After three years of implementation of Resolution No. 15/NQ-TW of March 18, 2002, of the 5th plenum of the Party Central Committee (IXth Congress), on accelerating the agricultural and rural industrialization and modernization in the 2001-2010 period, Party committees and administrations at all levels, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and mass organizations have given due attention to the leading and direction of the realization of the Resolution with many important achievements: the national food security has been guaranteed; the value of agricultural, forestry and aquatic production has continually increased at a high rate (5.4%/year, surpassing the target set in the Resolution of the Party's IXth Congress); agriculture has been actively restructured, strongly switching to commodity production step by step combined with processing and the market; sciences and technologies have been promoted and brought into full play; rural economy has been restructured by gradually raising the ratio of industries and services while restructuring labor and increasing the labor-using time in the countryside; relations of production have been continuously renovated in an active manner; socio-economic infrastructure in the countryside has been improved; hunger eradication and poverty alleviation has seen great achievements (quickly diminishing the rate of poor households by 3%/year on average); greater attention has been paid to healthcare, education and culture in the countryside, resulting in the improved life of peasants in many regions and many changes in the countryside.

Nevertheless, the propagation and study of the Resolution have not yet been carried out thoroughly and extensively as required; the restructuring of agriculture and rural economy in many areas is not strong and sustainable; the productivity, quality and competitiveness of many agricultural products remain low; the yield per hectare of agricultural land is low; the renewal and raising of efficiency of State-owned agricultural and forestry farms and collective economy are slow; the work of planning and management of plannings on production, infrastructure and urban population is weak; underemployment, low income and environmental pollution remain critical in many rural areas. Meanwhile, new problems have arisen, particularly for a number of peasants who face underemployment and difficulties in their lives after their production land was recovered.

In order to further step up the implementation of the Resolution of the 5th plenum of the Party Central Committee (IXth Congress) on accelerating the agricultural and rural industrialization and modernization in the 2005-2010 period, the Prime Minister requests:

1. The concerned ministries, branches and provincial/municipal People's Committees:

To continue carrying out regular propagation among their respective branches or localities so as to create real changes in the awareness about the especially important position and role, the objective indispensability, and the contents of the acceleration of agricultural and rural industrialization and modernization, work out specific programs and plans, give constant attention and direction to, and arrange adequate personnel resources for the performance of this task. In the immediately future, to preliminarily review the results of the three-year implementation of the Resolution of the 5th plenum of the XIth Party Central Committee on accelerating the agricultural and rural industrialization and modernization in their respective ministries, branches and localities and consider the preliminary review as a content for assessment of the current tenure of the Party committees of all levels.

The ministries and branches shall, according to their respective functions, tasks and powers, urgently complete the tasks assigned to them in Decision No. 68/2002/QD-TTg of June 4, 2002; at the same time, work out plans on monitoring, urging and inspecting the implementation thereof.

2. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Fisheries and localities to continue scrutinizing, supplementing and adjusting the production plannings of their branches and localities by: promoting the natural advantages of each locality and economic advantages of plants and animals, increasing the proportion of husbandry (aquaculture) and services, and forming commodity production areas in association with the market and processing industries, ensuring efficiency and sustainability. To research into, produce or import and transfer high-quality varieties and breeds for farming, husbandry and aquaculture, focusing on advantageous and marketable plants and animals; to continue effectively implementing programs on plant varieties and animal breeds. To enhance agricultural, forestry and fisheries promotion, veterinary work (also for aquatic resources), plant protection and management of food quality, safety and hygiene.

The provincial/municipal People's Committees shall coordinate with the ministries and branches in scrutinizing, supplementing and adjusting plannings on socio-economic infrastructure (transport, irrigation, power, roads, schools, health stations, marketplaces, post, telecommunications, etc.) in accordance with branch plannings, local overall socio-economic development plannings, land-use plannings and plans so as to ensure uniform and coordinated management in the localities. To attach importance to the formation of agricultural support and consultancy centers (marketing, prices, establishment of agricultural enterprises, trade promotion, etc.). To review and supplement land use plannings and plans, especially for agricultural land, rural industries and services, rural industrial clusters and craft villages.

The Ministry of Construction shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the concerned ministries and branches in, completing, and directing the realization of, a scheme on rural planning (on residential houses, infrastructure, environment, etc.) in line with the process of agricultural and rural industrialization and modernization while preserving the typical characteristics of Vietnamese rural areas and submit it to the Prime Minister in the third quarter of 2005.

3. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Trade and the provincial/municipal People's Committees in, organizing the preliminary review of the results of the implementation of the Prime Minister's Decision No. 80/2002/QD-TTg of December 6, 2002, on policies to encourage the contractual consumption of farm produce, and thereby, working out solutions to difficulties and problems, especially those related to the legal ground for the fulfillment of commitments made in the contracts on the consumption of farm produce between producers and enterprises. To direct state enterprises and business associations to efficiently execute the key trade promotion program already approved by the Prime Minister.

4. The Ministry of Science and Technology to assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Fisheries in, studying and renewing the mechanism of scientific management (financial and human resource management) in the domains of agriculture and fisheries in order to create a close linkage between research units and agricultural and fisheries promotion systems so as to raise the efficiency of scientific and technological research and transfer; to prioritize the allocation of capital set aside for non-business scientific activities for the implementation of scientific research and technological transfer programs and schemes to speed up agricultural and rural development industrialization and modernization.

5. The Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and localities to work out support policies and create conditions for the formation of rural industrial parks and clusters and craft clusters so as to attract industrial and processing establishments as well as rural crafts using a lot of labor and raw materials from agricultural, forestry and fisheries products in rural areas and receive industrial and processing establishments and craft villages relocated from residential quarters so as to reduce environmental pollution. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall submit to the Prime Minister a draft decree on policies to encourage rural trades and businesses in the third quarter of 2005.

6. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the provincial/municipal People's Committees in, reviewing current land policies, and adjusting and/or supplementing them, if necessary, to meet the industrial and urban development requirements in the process of agricultural and rural modernization and industrialization, and submit such adjustments or supplements to competent authorities for approval.

To coordinate with the ministries, branches and localities in reviewing and assessing the current situation of environmental pollution, especially pollution of water resources, so as to work out remedies as well as measures against environmental pollution in industrial clusters, craft village clusters and urban centers newly formed in the countryside.

7. The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Fisheries and the provincial/municipal People's Committees in, formulating job-training policies and plans to meet the requirements of restructuring agriculture and rural economy in service of agricultural and rural industrialization and modernization.

8. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Fisheries and localities to direct the enforcement of the 2003 Cooperative Law and guiding decrees so as to raise the efficiency of cooperative economy and cooperatives; in 2005, to complete the reorganization of State-owned agricultural and forestry farms under the Government's Decree No. 170/2004/ND-CP of September 22, 2004, on reorganization, renewal and development of State-owned agricultural farms and Decree No. 200/2004/ND-CP of December 3, 2004, on reorganization, renewal and development of State-owned forestry farms; to encourage and create conditions for the development of household-based economy, farms and agricultural enterprises, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises.

9. The Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance and the provincial/municipal People's Committees to work out mechanisms, apart from current policies, for mobilizing capital for the restructuring of agricultural and rural economy, prioritizing State capital for the performance of key tasks, first of all, for irrigation, transport, electricity and water supply, transfer of scientific and technological advances and market development. In the immediate future, to focus on:

- Building, and completing the building of, key irrigation works; detecting deteriorated irrigation works and dyke systems in key places so as to plan the maintenance and upgrading thereof in a timely manner.

- Executing rural transport project 3, paying attention to raising the quality of roads in mountainous, deep-lying and remote areas so that by the end of 2007, 100% of communes have motorways leading to their centers.

- Completing the connection of villages in the Central Highlands not yet supplied with electricity to the national power grid and executing the scheme on electricity supply in rural, mountainous areas and islands in the 2005-2010 period.

- Continuing to develop post and telecommunications in rural areas and build communal post and culture points, especially in deep-lying and remote areas.

10. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to monitor and periodically report on the implementation of this Directive to the Prime Minister.

The ministers, the heads of ministerial-level agencies, the heads of Government-attached agencies, the presidents of provincial/municipal People's Committees and the heads of concerned units and organizations shall have to implement this Directive.

For the Prime Minister

Deputy Prime Minister
NGUYEN TAN DUNG